Devotions of a Lost Soul
by SnowFairyLove
Summary: "You are the one who made everyone see that I didn't have much choice in my side of the war. That I was yet another dumb, unfortunate kid tossed into the war, the wrong side of the war at that. Therefore, as a token of gratitude, I am giving you my life. You may do with it as you see fit." Post War/ Eighth year Dramione.
1. Chapter 1 - Beginning Anew

**Chapter 1**

Hermione was determined to have a proper year at Hogwarts this year, as it would be her final one. She stepped onto the train with renewed vigor, though her thoughts were quickly dampened at the thought of being alone for the first time in eight years without the two dunderheads she loved dearly. Her life, for nearly a decade, has been surrounded be Harry and Ron. Now, as she sat in a compartment alone, she felt like two parts of her were missing. She tried to remind herself that she would see them in a few months for Christmas, but she felt that was a long time to wait. She shook those thoughts from her head and focused on of the learning she was going to achieve this year.

She stared out the window at the station outside until the sudden opening of the door caused her to turn her head. She had to stop herself from calling out Harry's and Ron's names.

Striding into the room, the young man dropped himself into the seat next to him. He was taller than she remembered him to be. His hair wasn't as properly kept as he used to care for it. She noticed that his tie was loose around his neck, and he overall just looked unkempt. He didn't look over at her, not at first. He leaned his head back against the wall. He took a deep breath and turned his head towards her.

His steel grey eyes certainly contained more warmth then the last time she had seen him. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. She found herself angry that he thought he could waltz into her compartment and-

And what?

She reeled back at her thoughts. She was turning into one of them. She knew she had a thousand reasons to hate him, but to throw him out for taking a seat next to her. He hadn't said a word to her. He hadn't done a thing to her in this instance. She would be just as bad as him.

She refused to stoop to his level.

She turned her head away from him and returned to staring out the window.

The train had just started pulling out of the station and the door to the compartment slid open again, adding two more occupants and filling up the rest of the seats.

She frowned when she saw them. The first was Daphne Greengrass. Hermione had quietly collaborated on many projects dealing with ancient runes and were often partners in the class. Despite being a pureblood, she never saw Hermione as anything less than that of a competent witch.

The other one was Pansy Parkinson. Aside from Malfoy, Pansy was Hermione's second biggest bully. She teased her just as ruthlessly. She was awful to her.

Daphne sat across from her, with Pansy taking the seat across from Malfoy. Daphne ignored the daggers Pansy was shooting at Hermione and greeted her with a small smile.

"So, what's been going on with you, Hermione?"

Hermione stared at her in shock. It had been an unspoken rule that they weren't to be friendly in front of each other's houses. They both knew it would only cause pointless fighting.

Daphne frowned at Hermione's lack of immediate response as she followed her gaze to the other two occupants in the room. "Pansy, remember you promised me that you'd be nice to all my friends this year." There was a silent threat of punishment in her voice that made both Pansy and Hermione shiver.

"Yeah, well, this mudblood can't be one of them."

At this Malfoy stood suddenly, and reached to pull Pansy up out of her seat by her collar. "You will not call her that filthy name in my presence ever again." He pushed open the door and tossed her out of the compartment. He ceremoniously shut the door and took a seat next to Hermione once more. She stared at him in shock.

Daphne frowned slightly at him before shrugging. "Well, you did warn her."

Malfoy turned his head and looked at the ceiling above them.

Daphne smiled and continued to engage Hermione until they were interrupted by the food trolley. Malfoy quickly bought up three of everything on the trolley and the whole stock of the sugar quills. He promptly dropped the whole lot of treats into Hermione's lap and nibbled on a sugar quill as the girls kept up their complex conversation on runic symbols. When they were about twenty minutes from Hogwarts, they both stood and looked at Malfoy expectantly.

"Draco, it's time for you to leave."

He looked up at both girls with half a sugar quill in his mouth. He nodded as Daphne gestured that they still needed to change. He stood and waited outside.

As soon as the door closed, Hermione closed in on Daphne. "What is going on with him? Is this his new way of bullying me? Is he trying to make fun of me?"

Daphne giggled at Hermione. The stress was so visible she could almost cut through it. "Hermione, calm down. He has his own reasons for doing what he's doing. No one knows what goes on in another person's head unless you ask them. Try that." She gave Hermione a knowing smile that she wasn't quite sure she liked. "I'll give you two some space. I need to go check on Pansy."

Before Hermione could say anything, she was alone. A miniscule moment passed, and Malfoy had stepped back into the compartment. He took the seat next to her without saying a word.

"Hey, Malfoy," She started, channeling her Gryffindor bravery.

"Draco." He corrected. "We've seen the worst of each other. We should at least be on a first name basis."

She nodded. "Draco, I have a question."

"I'm sure you have several."

"Why are you acting like this towards me?"

He stared at her for what felt like eons. She felt nervous already, but his stare only amped up her anxiety. He stood and knelt before her.

"I am essentially an orphan now. My mother is in Azkaban for the rest of her life and my father is set to be executed in a month's time. I have been given lots of time to reflect by living in that manor alone. I know it was you who saved me from a life sentence, Hermione. You and Potter stood at my trial. I know he said the words, but I know they belonged to you. I recognized your ticks in his speech. You are the one who made everyone see that I didn't have much choice in my side of the war. That I was yet another dumb, unfortunate kid tossed into the war, the wrong side of the war at that. Therefore, as a token of gratitude, I am giving you my life. You may do with it as you see fit."

His voice started out strong and steady and very matter of fact, but as he continued his voice grew quieter and lower. She had to strain to hear the last bit, but still found herself shocked at his words anyway.

"What?"

He swallowed and looked directly into her eyes. "I will give my life to you. I will protect you from all harm that shall come your way-"

Hermione vigorously shook her head. "Merlin, Draco! I'm not some princess you can pledge your knighthood to. I only did what was right and I do not need you to shower me in your wealth either!" She pointed to the stack of uneaten sweets. "And I most certainly don't need you to protect me!"

He stared at her for a moment before laughing. "You don't think you're a princess? That's exactly what you are, Hermione! Every family worth a damn and has a son will be gunning for you. You're bloody Hermione Granger for Salazar's sake, a bloody war heroine, the brains of the Golden Trio, Order of Merlin First Class. Merlin, you have got to be kidding me that you didn't see that coming?"

She gawked at him. "You're full of yourself, Draco." If she were being honest with herself, she would have guessed that would have been a possibility for all three of them. While Harry had Ginny, they hadn't gone public with their relationship yet, so no one outside of Hogwarts knew. As for her and Ron, this was a very real possibility, while Ron was a male, and thus expected to find a suitor, Hermione was a female. Suitors would flock from all over the world for a war heroine. She swallowed hard. "There's no way."

"Ah, see, there's that big brain of yours working hard."

The train came to a stop and the students were beginning to get off. She quickly stood and found herself blocked from the exit. Draco held his arm in front of her. "Wait a moment, if you leave now you'll get swarmed."

She pushed his arm aside. "You're being ridiculous."

She stepped outside the compartment, and she immediately felt his presence behind her. She wanted to turn around and yell at him not to follow her, but she found herself being dragged forward by Daphne, who had come from nowhere. "Come on, Hermione. The carriages are waiting."

Draco kept up close behind her. They came to be one of the last few students to arrive. She found herself standing between Draco and Daphne. She peeked at Draco and found he had kept his face expressionless. He had gelled his hair back and fixed his tie while she wasn't looking. She found herself liking him better this way. She could deal with tidy Malfoy over unkempt Draco.

She searched the crowd of students for any familiar faces. She found that Neville and Luna were just boarding a carriage with two younger students. As they pulled away, Hermione spotted Ginny talking to a few second years. She noticed that they were crying and staring at the carriages with horror.

The thestrals were no longer invisible to all of them. Every one of them could see the undead horse creatures.

Hermione looked down at her feet. Draco coughed and nudged her towards Daphne who was leaving them behind to take a seat in the carriage. She followed mindlessly as the crowd began to take notice of her.

Then the whispers began. She heard the other students' comments.

"Look there's Hermione Granger, why is she with the Slytherins?"

"I bet Malfoy is just trying to curry favor with her since she's the minister's adopted daughter."

"My grandmother told me that she's Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelorette and that any bloke lucky enough to snag her as a wife would be set for life because the Ministry owes them for doing their jobs."

She wanted to correct them, to tell them that was not at all how she saw it. Sure, following the war, Kingsley offered her a room in his home, and he did technically ask her if she would allow him to adopt her, but it was because she no longer had parents. She only agreed because despite only being together in a short few months, he treated her much like a daughter rather than a heroine. They had quickly become a family the months following the war. He even came to see her off for her final year. And like a true father, he made her promise to write once a week.

She turned away from the whispers and climbed into the carriage. She sat across from Daphne, with Draco taking the one next to Hermione. They waited on the last person to climb into the carriage and was stunned to find the lanky form of Blaise Zabini.

"Well, Well, Well, look at this. The Ministry's princess has graced us with her appearance." He laughed at her frown.

Draco coughed, and Blaise quickly stopped. "Oh, are you taking up for her now?"

"I will not allow you to disrespect her, Blaise, not even you are exempt from this."

"Are you still prattling on about the whole 'I owe her my life' thing?" He scoffed. "I wouldn't want a tosser like you following me around to fight my battles. What do you say, Granger? Come be mine and I can get him off your back."

She frowned at him. "I'll have you know that I am my own woman and I can handle myself thank you!"

Blaise stared at her before teasingly smiling at her. "Ah, so you enjoy having a puppy following you. I can adapt."

Daphne nudged Blaise. "Leave her alone, Blaise. She just realized the implications of being thrown into the spotlight. She doesn't need anymore blokes like you hounding her."

"Hounding? I'll have you know-"

"Just be quiet, Blaise. We all know about your festivities since our fourth year." Draco smirked.

Blaise crossed his arms and leaned back. "Yeah, yeah, Draco." He brushed his friend aside and turned back to Hermione. "So, tell us, Granger, why were you adopted by the new Minister?"

"You don't have to answer that." Malfoy said quickly.

She looked at him and gave him a small smile. The look in his eyes told her that he knew of her parents' fate. Of course, he knew, he was close to Voldemort during the war. "No, it's alright." She turned back to Blaise, not entirely sure why she was opening up. Kingsley told her that she should try to make new friends this year and she was going to attempt at it. She was done fighting. She no longer wanted to see everyone as an enemy. She took a deep breath. "When Harry, Ron, and I set out to destroy the horcruxes, I erased my parents' memories of me and moved them to Australia. I did it to protect them and save them from being tortured. Well, when the war ended, and all was done, Kingsley and I tracked them down and I found that there isn't a way to reverse it. So even though they're alive, I've been orphaned. Kingsley offered to take me in and give me a room when we got back to the Ministry. So, after a few months, he asked if he could adopt me. We finalized the paperwork a couple months ago. I'm grateful to call him a part of my family."

Daphne was the first to speak. "But you're of age, right? Couldn't you just go get a place of your own?"

Blaise shook his head. "Would you be able to stand on your own after a year in the woods, fighting the battle of your life, and then finding that your parents will never know who you are?"

Hermione nodded. "Besides, its nice to have a place to call home."

Daphne smiled. "What's it like having the minister as a father then? Is he super strict?"

A sly smirk overcame Hermione's features. "He's actually very involved. He was an enormous influence on Professor McGonagall reopening the school for this term. We all agreed that some normalcy would do us all some good. He made me promise to write him once a week, though."

The four of them burst into laughter.

"So, after the war, it was just the two of you?"

Hermione nodded. "He was there for me, but he gave me space too. This wasn't his first war, so he gave me what he wished he had, peace. He said he was overwhelmed with people asking for war stories he wanted a place where he could simply just exist. He provided that space for me."

The carriage came to a stop and Blaise was the first one out, helping Daphne down. Draco hopped down after her, extending his hand to help Hermione down. She took it on good faith and gently let her feet touch the ground. She had a moment of peace before Ginny nearly toppled her over. "We need to talk. Now."

Malfoy caught Hermione before she could fall and pulled her away from Ginny. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, so this is where you were when we needed you? Hanging out with bloody Death Eaters?" Ginny roared. "We were looking everywhere for you! We sent you a thousand owls, and what did you do? Vanish!"

Draco calmly made sure Hermione wasn't hurt before turning around and laying into Ginny. "First of all, how dare you point your damn finger at her betraying you when you didn't once consider her feelings after the war! She needed time to fucking cope with her personal losses. Did you even bother to ask how she was feeling? How her parents were? That brings me to my second point, you little hussy would know had you asked, that she no longer has parents!" Malfoy took a deep breath, but Ginny interrupted.

"She knew that was a possibility! What about Ron, huh? He needed you when Fred died! We all did!"

Hermione looked down at her feet and gently laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, shaking her head slightly. "Ginny, we can talk when we get to our dorm." She gestured to for Draco to follow her and she made her way inside the castle with Draco quickly on her heels. Daphne sent Ginny an icy glare as she made to follow them. Blaise was much more verbal, going as far as to call her a few names before striding after the others. It seems that Hermione now had a following of Slytherins. And to her surprise, she found she didn't mind.

She stepped into the Great Hall and was met with all kinds of looks as she made her way to the front of the group. Professor, now Headmistress, McGonagall stood at the front, waiting for the rest of the students, sans the first years, to arrive. Once the doors finally closed, she gave them all a warm, motherly smile.

"The Great Hall is now a place of unity! Therefore, there will no longer be anymore house tables. You may sit where you like. This change had been brought to light due to the recent events that took place this past May as well as the returning eighth year students."


	2. Chapter 2 - Amor Vincit Omnia

**Chapter 2**

Draco was hanging onto the Headmistress's every word. To him, it felt as though a prayer had been answered. A sign that all was not lost to him, that there was hope. Unity brought forgiveness, forgiveness brought closeness, and closeness to another person both scared and thrilled him. He had been raised to keep everyone at arm's length. He had always done just that. He was told hold himself above other people because he was better, but he found that simply wasn't true. He felt the exact opposite. When he looked in the mirror, all he had seen was the scum everyone else had named him to be.

He was in fact a Death Eater. The permanent mark on his arm all but confirmed that.

Yet a small, miniscule part of him hoped that he could redeem himself.

He knew that it was a fool's quest to try to redeem himself in the world's eyes, but if he could do it with just one person, if he could show one person that the world wasn't better off without him, that he was still needed on the plane of existence, then he would do it.

He needed to feel needed.

He needed to have purpose again.

He was so lost.

He was alone.

"Draco,"

His swirling depressive episode shattered. His eyes quickly shifted to his surroundings and found the rest of the students filing into the Great Hall. His mind quickly focused on the light voice that called his name, Hermione's voice. She stood by him gently calling him back, when they both knew she didn't have to.

He was both shocked and a little relieved.

"Let's go take a seat,"

A soft smirk fell into a place on his expression. "It's my turn to ask what your motives are."

She turned to him and stared at him before breaking out in a tiny smile. "Don't be fooled, Draco. You make me uneasy. You still have a long way to go before we're all good and truly can become friends," He looked ready to interject when she continued. "But you are trying to improve yourself and I will allow you the opportunity to do so."

Draco gave her a small, genuine smile. "Shall I start referring to you as my Lady?"

Hermione glared at him and rolled her eyes. "Let's go,"

He followed her like an imprinted duckling. He glared at the ones who dared to throw insults her way. They could look down on him, but he would not stand for them to disrespect his lady. A smile creeped up his lips and he found himself paying attention to the way she ate.

Or really, the lack there of.

She piled her plate full but had hardly picked at it. He studied her expressions and found that her eyes were distant, and she kept picking at the skin around her nails in her lap. She was nervous.

He wanted to reassure her. He sat there staring at her, trying to figure out how to do just that when a paper airplane landed in front of her. The piece of paper unfolded itself as she read it. He read it over her shoulder.

 _Hermione,_

 _I know it has only been a few hours since we had last talked, but I wanted you to know I am thinking of you. Blinky misses you. He told me he promised to wait for you to come home this Christmas to finish that novel you were reading him. He wanted me to tell you._

 _Are you making new friends? Is everything alright?_

 _Tell Ginevra that I send my best wishes._

 _My thoughts are with you, my daughter, and I know you will have fortunate luck in all your endeavors. Focus on your studies, but don't forget to relax in your downtime. Grades are important, but so is your health. If I get one owl from any of your teachers about your health, Merlin help you._

 _Your Father, Kingsley._

"He really is involved, huh?" Draco said before he could stop himself.

"Yes, but he means well." Her eyes were sad, but also happy as well. She honestly looked homesick to him. He had seen it in nearly every first year. She folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket. "He lived alone with our house-elf, Blinky. He never really had anyone to come home to, so when I came into his life after the war, he seemed happier. I think he always wanted a child."

Draco nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

Hermione looked down her plate of food. She knew she should eat, but her approaching conversation with Ginny stopped her from eating.

Outside of Ron, Harry, and Kingsley, no one really knew the full truth about her situation. Ron and her mutually agreed that their kiss in the last battle was a now or never type of thing and meant nothing. Harry was awkwardly there for that conversation, and even he said that the passion they had had before had fizzled out. They kept a close correspondence, and based off Ginny's outburst, she didn't know they had formally decided not to be romantically involved. Though, she mused, she wasn't entirely sure where Ron was now. He had mentioned that he was off to help Charlie train dragons and that he needed to get out of Brittan for a while.

Draco watched her fidget with her hands in her lap. "I can go with you, if you'd like?"

She shook her head. "No offense, but I'm not letting you into my dorm."

He looked upset at her words but didn't say anything as a small clinking of a spoon and glass began to quiet the hall.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and the Great Hall grew silent. "Boys and girls, I have a few announcements. Firstly, I'd like to welcome all the returning students and I would like to commend you on your bravery. As for our newest additions, I welcome you all to our school and hope you will all find your place among us." She gave the usual speech about the Forbidden Forest being forbidden and all the stuff they had heard for the last eight years. She paused for a moment. "As you may have noticed, there are no head boys and girls this year. All eighth-year students will be taking patrols and will have access to all four common rooms. Eighth years, please remain behind after the feast for just a moment. The rest of you are dismissed."

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. She was curious as to why she was doing away with tradition. Had she looked at Draco, she would have seen the same expression. Once the room had cleared, Hermione only noticed a handful of them had bothered to come back. Terry Boot sat with Hannah Abbot. Neville sat with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Susan Bones, and Ernie Macmillan all sat together with Michael Corner. Lastly, there was Pansy, Blaise, Daphne, and Theodore Nott all huddled together.

Professor McGonagall quieted the room with a wave of her wand. She looked at the fifteen students that remained. "Each of you will take turns patrolling the corridors. Here," With a wave of her wand, timetables appeared in every student's hands. "Failure to report for patrols will result in a week detention. At the top of this page are a reminder of all the rules, including an emphasis or breaking curfew."

Draco felt a small smile start to creep up, but quickly shut down the motion. He found his name elegantly written next to Hermione's. They were set to patrol the dungeons on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays for two hours after curfew. He felt hope.

Draco looked at the Gryffindor next to him out of the corner of his eyes. She was also scanning the page, most likely committing the entire schedule to memory. She had a small smile on her face as her finger reached the first day of their patrols. He looked away as she turned her eyes toward him. He could feel her stare and after a moment he turned to look at her.

"Looks like we're patrolling together."

He was glad her tone was almost friendly. He felt his hope rise just a little higher.

"It seems so, my lady."

She rolled her eyes at his nickname for her. "Did you see the chart where it outlined how many points can be taken for each infraction?"

He chose to ignore the tiny blush that dusted her cheeks.

McGonagall cleared her throat and silenced the room once more. "As the fourteen of you are all of age, curfew does not apply to you. However, you all will be given your own wing on the third floor. Each pair will be given a portrait and will share a common room but assigned separate bedrooms and bathrooms. You can find your portrait assignment at the bottom of the page. Your pairs are the same as your patrol partners. Regarding Hogsmeade trips, you are free to leave during the weekends. That is all I have for you lot for today." She paused for a moment before dropping her strict demeanor for just a minute. "I'm very happy to see that you all are alive. Welcome back."

The students murmured back to her, sharing her sentiments. The students collected themselves. Draco stood first, looking down at Hermione. She was still scanning over the piece of parchment in her hands. "Hermione," He said softly as the rest of their fellow students cleared out of the Great Hall. "Let's go."

Her head snapped up and looked at him with cryptic eyes. "Sorry, I was really engrossed. I'm trying to memorize it all."

He smirked at her and held out his hand to help her from her seat. She took it and made sure she had tucked her father's letter in her pocket. She grabbed his hand and led him out the Great Hall. She was in a hurry to get Draco alone and in private.

He found he didn't mind the way she drug him out the hall. Her hand was a lot softer than he had expected them to be for a war heroine.

The climbed the stairs and soon found themselves on the third floor. Their portrait was one of a pair of silhouetted lovers on a gradient deep purple background. "Amor vincit omnia." Draco felt as though he couldn't breathe as the familiar Latin words were pronounced perfectly. She stepped through the portrait as the two lovers giggled at them. Draco just looked at their joined hands. He almost missed her warmth when she let go after the portrait closed behind them. She quickly turned and took a deep breath.

"Malfoy, look-"

"I told you to call me by my first name, Hermione. I won't listen to anything you say if you can't do me that one curtesy."

She frowned and turned to sit on one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. " _Draco_ ," She dragged his name out and it sent chills down his spine. "Look, I was thinking about what you said about every bachelor asking for my hand."

"You can turn every one of them down if you want."

She looked away from Draco. "I'm sure I could, but for how long would it go on? Years? I've had enough fighting for my lifetime."

Draco nodded in understanding. "You're not the only one." He sat next to her.

Hermione looked him in the eyes. "So, I have a question."

"As I said on the train, I'm sure you have several."

"Are you done fighting?"

He nodded again, "Yeah, I'm done fighting. Honestly, I'm ready to move on from here. I had always planned on going into the Ministry, but there's no chance of that happening now that the war's over." He paused. "My worries aren't important. Let's get to bed, classes start tomorrow."

She looked at him as he retreated to his room, which had a silver nameplate and emerald lettering. A perfect nod to his house, she mused. She turned away from him as he walked into his room and looked at her room across their shared common room. Her name was in a beautiful script written in ruby red on a gold plate. Hermione stood and walked into her room. She stood in awe of her room. It was decorated in simple hues of red and gold. She felt her heart pang at the thought of the similarity to her Gryffindor dorm room.

She shook her head of her thoughts and when to her connecting bathroom to shower. She let the hot water wash her of the oddly confusing day. She wrapped a towel around herself and sat down at her desk in her room. Pulling out a quill and a piece of parchment and penned out a letter to her father.

 _Father,_

 _It seems I have found an unlikely companion in Draco Malfoy. He isn't at all what he was for the last seven years, though I suppose war does that to everyone. He was raised to believe such awful things, but he is doing his best to do better than what people see him as. I think I would like to pursue this friendship with him._

 _I am not in Gryffindor Tower this year, instead I am on the third floor located behind one of the many portraits, as are the other thirteen students. All the eighth-year students are acting as the head boys and girls this year._

 _I'll write again later this week, it's nearly eleven now. Good night._

 _Hermione_

She folded the letter and told herself to send it before classes tomorrow. She dressed into her pajamas and went to bed. It wasn't long before the nightmares began.

 ** _Hermione clamped her mouth shut, trying to keep her screams from escaping._**

 ** _"Scream for me, filthy mudblood!"_**

 ** _The crucio intensified and she let her screams go._**

 ** _"Hermione…"_**

 ** _She let out another scream. Bellatrix approached her, brandishing the dagger while still casting the curse._**

 ** _"Hermione!"_**

 ** _Bellatrix began carving letters into her arm and yet another scream erupted._**

 ** _"Hermione! HERMIONE!"_**

She shot upright and scanned her surroundings in panic. Her eyes locked on grey ones and her panic stopped. Her heart rate slowed to normal and she relaxed. She found herself crawling into his embrace and clutching at his rather firm form. He laid down next to her and held her close to him as her body's tremors came to end. She was clutching her forearm. She looked up at him and silently questioned why he was here with her.

"I will do everything in my power to make your life better." He looked her directly in the eyes. "My life is all yourself and if I can ease just a little suffering in your life, I will."

She continued to study him.

"I'll be right back." He left her for a minute, only to return with two glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey. She smiled almost gratefully. He poured her a glass and crawled back into bed with her before pouring himself a glass. He took a sip. "You don't need to tell me about it. I already know."

She downed her drink to avoid talking to him for just a moment longer.

"I get nightmares, too." He said softly, taking another sip. "I relive all the things I was forced to do…" He rolled up his sleeve and showed her the thing he was most ashamed of. "I look at this mark and feel sick every time. It's caused so much suffering and pain and death."

He poured her another glass as he spoke. She watched his hands quiver slightly as he did so. Handing her glass back to her, he looked at the ceiling.

"I was told to torture the house elves. One for every failure, it tore at me everytime. If I failed to torture them to the extent that he was pleased with, I was on the other end of his wand." He pointed to his chest and she realized he was shirtless. His finger rested on a thick jagged scar running from his right collar to directly over the heart. "He forbade me from healing it with magic."

Hermione downed another glass. The alcohol was making her brain fuzzy. She stretched out her hand and pulled her sleeve up to reveal her unwanted brand of her blood status. The letters were thin now and only visible if one focused enough, but she knew it was there and that was enough to be torturing her.

"I apologize, for not being able to save you from that. Even in my old beliefs, that was too far for me. Maybe it was worse because…" His words trailed off and he finished off his glass. He poured them both another one and he sighed. He didn't know what else to say to comfort her, so he grabbed her hand gently and placed it on his chest. "I meant it when I said my life is in your hands. If you wished to kill me, I would be fine with that, but know that no matter what, every time you scream in your sleep, I will come running and I'll stay up with you until they're distant memories-"

"You."

"What?"

"If I am going to be treated like royalty because of the war, then I want you by my side." She downed her third glass and the fuzziness became more prominent.

"Always." _Even if you won't remember this conversation in the morning._

 **SO SO SO SORRY I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO POST THIS CHAPTER FOR ALMOST A WEEK NOW AND FANFICTION KEPT CRASHING. SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Scars

**Chapter 3**

He waited until she fell back asleep before he pointed his wand at her. She couldn't know how much he was devoted to her. He owed her not only his life, but he wanted to give her his soul, his entire essence. His hands shook as his wand touched her temple.

"Obliviate."

He took the memories that she had of their night drinking together. He held onto his memories, however. He committed to memory the way her hair smelled as she curled into his arms, and the way her eyes shone with fear as she awoke. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. He had a few more seconds before the obliviate took effect. He stood and left to his own room glancing at the clock in their common room. It was nearing four in the morning. He sighed and headed to his bathroom, deciding to go ahead and get ready for the day. It was Monday now, so he had quite the long day ahead of him. He showered and took the time to finish unpacking his trunk. He organized his books onto the tiny bookshelf located in his room. He had a window, that wasn't a true window, only a charmed glass pane to show what outside the castle looked like. He frowned as he finished and looked out the fake window. He felt hopeless. He knew she would never accept him in the manner in which he hoped, but he had to try, he supposed. He had to do something to be close to her. He had to repay her somehow.

Around six-thirty, he heard a knock on his door and opened it to find her in the white dress shirt, gold and red tie, and black slacks that was the Gryffindor uniform.

"Oh, good, you're up. I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?"

"Always." He said softly, his mind wandering to the night before.

They sat next to one another, and he resisted the urge to hold her as she looked down at her hands.

"Draco, I was thinking about this last night…" She paused, gathering her words. "I would like to extend my friendship to you. We are going to be sharing a common space and doing patrols together, so I would like us, at the very least, friends."

His eyes widened in shock. He didn't think he had heard her right. It wasn't until he had looked into her eyes once more did he understand how sincere she was. "I'm honoured."

She giggled at him. "So that means we're friends, then?"

"Of course," He extended his hand out to her, if only to feel her skin for just a moment. Deep down, he craved the intimacy they shared last night. She had curled up into his arms and drifted asleep. He knew she was only doing it because she was inhibited, but he couldn't help but enjoy the way her hair smelled and how her long lashes fell daintily onto her cheeks. While it had been very real for him, he knew it had never happened for her. She knew nothing of what happened last night, and he planned on keeping it that way.

"Draco," Her light honey voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he gave her a small smile. "If you're all ready for today, let's go down for breakfast, okay?" She pulled her hand from his and went to retrieve her bag. He longed for her hand to be intertwined with his again.

He watched her leave and couldn't help but be in awe of the woman before him. She was his savior! She had pulled him from the brink in his darkest moment! He didn't know how to thank her, so he decided to learn her, learn her tells and fears and hopes and dreams. He would learn everything there was to know about Hermione Granger and he would protect the very light she embodied in his life.

They walked in amiable silence down to the Great Hall far earlier than anyone else. He found he didn't mind all that much. As she picked a seat and sat down, picking up a slice of toast, he took in her appearance through the corner of his eye. She was eating more than she did last night. She had already finished her toast and was moving onto the eggs and bacon.

As more students entered the hall, the owls came swooping down and delivered the mail for the day. Hermione had several owls fight to give her their letters. Her face was red when she opened the first letter. Draco looked over her shoulder to find a proposal of a marriage contract from what looked to be Blaise's mother. She quickly put the letter down as Blaise slid into the seat next to her.

He grabbed her hand almost gently and held it as he gazed into her eyes. "Hermione,"

She shook her head and pulled her hand from his grip. "My answer is no, Blaise. I don't know you." While he looked absolutely rejected and nearly angry that she would brush him aside, she focused on the next letter of the stack. It was in a script he recognized and frowned. She turned over the letter and broke the seal.

Draco read the contents of the letter over her shoulder. He felt himself shake in anger as he took in the familiar script and words.

"Ignore this one." He said gently pulling the letter from her hands.

She shook her head and pulled the letter from his grip and turned it to the next page. It had been ripped out of a book or journal and at the top was a few days after his trial. It was in his handwriting and he instantly felt his cheeks heat up. He snatched the letter this time and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

She looked at him curiously as breakfast was beginning to finish up. They both had a free period this morning and she had planned to go to the library to brush up on her studies, but instead followed Draco back to their dorm. As soon as the portrait closed behind them, she turned him around, and looked at him seriously.

"Draco," She said his name softly, and his heart both calmed and ached at the sound. "I want to talk about this."

"I did not ask him to do that."

She noticed how ashamed his face was and struggled to find her words. "I know, Draco. You've changed from what you used to be."

He refused to look at her as she laid a hand on his arm and pulled gently. "Draco…"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I hate him, you know." He looked up at the ceiling. "He still has so much control over me and I hate him for it. He's supposed to be executed in a month's time, for merlin's sake." He shrugged her hand off his arm and began to pace around the room. "It doesn't help that anywhere I go they see me as my father, as a bloody Death Eater. I can't escape it!"

She drew her lips to make a frim line. "Draco, he doesn't own you anymore and I sure don't see you as your father." She took a step closer to him and she laid her hand on his arm once more, right over his biggest regret.

He put his hand over hers, trying to pull it away but she tightened her grip. "Draco,"

"Another thing, I don't understand why you want to even be near me? I'm disgusting! I bullied you! I watched you be tortured by my insane aunt! I made the last eight years unbearable for you just because of something as stupid as blood status!"

"Draco,"

He continued to ignore her pleas for him to let her speak. "I made you miserable! I made you cry! I deserved so much more than the punch in the face from third year."

"Draco Malfoy!" Hermione shouted at him. He silenced his ramblings as she cupped his face in her small, soft, frail looking hands. "You are not your father. Your father's sins are his alone. You're only sin is letting your self-loathing consume you like this."

He closed his eyes, almost reverently at her touch. "I still don't understand you."

"During your trial, do you know what I saw that made me want to write Harry's speech? I saw this part of you. I saw you breaking and nearly at the tipping point."

He debated on whether he should tell her, and finally decided to reveal everything to her. "I often thought about casting that fatal spell on myself or drinking a poison or something to end it all. I wanted to die after the war. I had no one. I have no one." He looked away from her once more and tried to pull away.

Naturally, Hermione summoned her Gryffindor bravery and tackled him to the floor. She looked him in the eyes and cupped his face again. "You are not, and I mean not, alone, Draco Malfoy, and Merlin help you if I hear you, see you, or even catch a rumor of you contemplating suicide, you will answer to me." She paused and gave him a stern look before giving him a small smile. "I want you to promise me, you'll come to me if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

He, once again, closed his eyes, and bowed his head to her. "I can promise that."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. "Despite everything, Draco, you only get one life, please don't throw it away because of your father."

After a few moments, he returned her sudden embrace. He knew she didn't hold any feelings for him, but he relished in her embrace. He would savor this moment for as long as he could.

She squeezed him tightly and pulled away to kiss his forehead. "You have someone that cares about you now."

Hermione hugged him close. She recalled how she too contemplated death after the war. Had it not been for Harry, Ron, and Kingsley, she probably would have died as well. She knew now wasn't the time to tell him. Now was about him. She would tell him about her struggles and nightmares and everything that the war had done to her, but for now, she gave him what Kingsley had given to her; someone who cares.


	4. Chapter 4 - Arrivals

**Chapter 4**

Hermione and Draco quickly gathered themselves and scrambled to gather their bags as the spell that signaled it was the end of the first class of the day. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the portrait door.

"Come on, we're going to be late." She gave his hand a squeeze.

He looked at the mirror near the door and frowned at his disheveled appearance. He charmed his hair back into place and fixed his tie as he watched her in the mirror. His eyes met hers and she gave him an almost affectionate smile.

"I don't understand you."

"And I don't understand you." Her tone was light, almost sweet.

"Why are you even bothering with someone like me?"

She turned him around, tired of watching him fumble with his tie. "Because you deserve it. I see so much of myself in you and want to help you, Draco. I know where you stand right now all to well." She finished fixing his tie and looked him in the eyes.

He hated the way her eyes shone with worry. Unlike her, he was painfully aware of her proximity and she stood on her tip toes and gave him another almost sweet smile.

"We're going to be late."

She pulled away and led him into the hallway of students. She walked calmly next to him on their way to double potions with Slughorn. Hermione was glad to see him back. Draco just saw more deaths he had caused.

She found herself looking forward to this year. To her, Draco Malfoy was an enigma she wanted to study. She found him to be so like and unlike her at the same time and she truly felt that had it not for the profound presence of blood supremacy engrained into him, they actually could have been friends. From the brief look she got into his room, she saw similar titles to the ones she owned, so she determined they had similar interests in literature.

"Would you like to be my partner, Draco?"

Her light, honey voice shook him from his thoughts. "I-"

His response was interrupted by Neville and Ginny who were walking up to them. "Good morning, Hermione." Neville greeted.

"Good morning, Neville."

Ginny frowned at her, still very clearly angry with Hermione. Draco subtly stepped in front of Hermione, ready to protect her at a moment's notice.

"Hermione, we need to talk, now."

"Alright,"

"Privately."

Hermione stifled a frown. "Privately? When we tried to have this conversation yesterday you made it quite public. No, anything you have to say can be said here and now." She crossed her arms and nearly glared at her.

Ginny matched her stance and frowned at her. "Where have you been since the war ended?"

"I was with Kingsley, tracking down my parents." She replied simply. She saw no reason to rehash the story she knew Ginny already knew but was choosing to create a drama out of this. Hermione knew there was more to Ginny's anger than what she was showing. She wanted to roll her eyes at the younger girl. Her drama was beginning to become tiresome. "Ginny, why don't you just get to the real reason you're so angry with me?"

"What about Ron? How could you abandon him after everything?" Her body language was stiff and clearly angry. Ginny looked as though she were about to blow her top. Her face was contorted in near rage that made Hermione quirk her eyebrow in confusion. "He needed you after the war, you know. He still gets nightmares, you know. Or do you not care about him anymore now that you have a new boy toy?"

"Excuse me?" Hermione said stiffly.

Draco gripped his wand in anger. "Do not speak of her like that."

The two Gryffindors chose then to turn their attention to the Slytherin. "What do you even know about her? You've got no place here."

"He's got more of a place right now than you." Hermione was livid. She couldn't believe what had gotten into Ginny. "I didn't realise that you had turned into a spineless Gryffindor. What happened to the Ginny Weasley that fought off the enemy four months ago?"

"Hermione," His voice was soft. "It's fine. She's technically right-"

"Of course, I am." Ginny said smugly.

"But," He continued as though he weren't even interrupted. "I know far more than you do. I know that when she's nervous she bites her lower lip and plays with the ends of her hair. I know that despite being unable to restore her parent's memories, she found a father figure in Kingsley. I know that after the war, she's jumpier than she had been before. I know that she is terrified to lose her friends and would even toss her life away to give them the chance to keep living. I know her favorite color is periwinkle because that's the same color her notebook covers have been since our first year. I know that she hates the way house elves are treated. I know a hell of a lot more about her in the last twenty-four hours than you have in the last seven years. So," He pressed his index finger into her shoulder. "Maybe you need to pay more attention than worrying about other people's personal relationships."

"Don't you dare touch me, you filthy Death Eater."

He felt Hermione begin to respond before he raised his hand in front of her. "I wouldn't want to."

"Oh, so now you're above me?" She rose her wand and pointed it at him.

He closed his eyes as he heard Neville announce that he was going to get a professor. He wasn't going to retaliate. However, Hermione had other ideas.

"Ginny if you don't put your wand down this instant, I will personally hex you into next week and I'm a quicker caster than you."

"Why are you defending him?! Harry told me that he watched you being tortured by his mad aunt!"

"Because he's doing everything he can to atone and move forward! You're still stuck in the weeks after the war! It's been four months! We need to move forward and that's what Kingsley is going for." Wand still raised, Hermione glared at the younger Gryffindor. "You're being irrational, Ginny."

Draco opened his eyes, turning to look directly as her. "We're going to be late, Hermione. We should get going."

Ginny frowned. "Answer me."

"Ron and I decided to go our separate ways. It was mutual. And frankly, I don't think my relationships are any of your damn business, Ginny." Her tone softened at the next few words. "I know you're still grieving and that's okay. I'm here for you now. So, lower your wand."

Ginny's hand quivered.

"Ginny," She urged and took a step forward. She lounged forward and grabbed the girl and embraced her. "It's gonna be okay, now." Hermione calmed the girl and soothed her. Ginny had burst into tears at Hermione's hug.

"I'm so sorry,"

"Shh, it's okay, Gin," Hermione soothed. "You just needed someone to blame."

Draco politely coughed. "Hermione, we're going to be late."

"Right," She turned to Ginny. "Sit with me at lunch?"

"Sure," She smiled weakly.

Hermione hugged her again and scurried down the hall to seventh year potions. Since the eighth years were here to complete their seventh year, they were all taking seventh year classes with said seventh years. Draco stopped her when they reached the dungeons. "Hey,"

"We're going to be late, Draco."

"Hermione,"

"Draco, not now."

He pulled her arm, forcing her fast steps to come to a stop. "You're not ready to go into that classroom yet."

"And why not?" Her voice, her light, honey, soft voice was dripping with impatience and irritation.

"Hermione, it's clear you're upset about what happened with Weasley."

She waved him off and continued down the hallway. "We can talk about it later."

He conceded her request and followed her to the classroom where they barely made it and moved to sit next to each other near the back.

She ducked her head into her textbook and avoided looking at him. To her luck, Slughorn left her alone during class as they worked on pain relieving potions for Madam Pomfrey's stores. However, as they were finishing up, Slughorn came over to them singing praises on Hermione's work. He gently laid an envelope on the counter of the workstation and gave her a smile.

"If you have the time I would love to have you join me for dinner this evening. I'm sure you'll meet other suitors and make powerful alliances."

Hermione didn't even look up from stirring her potion. "I will have to pass, Professor. I have patrols this evening."

"Ah, that's right, with Mister Malfoy, correct? Would you like to request a different partner?"

She looked up at him with tired disdain. "With all due respect, Professor, I have no issue with Mister Malfoy, nor should you. We have settled our grievances." She cleared her throat. "He is no longer on trial and he was cleared of his charges. Let the past remain there. Also, you are not my head of house, so you should be more concerned with Draco's happiness than mine."

She held her head high with a powerful air around her. _Did she know she commanded the room?_ He thought in awe. _She's like a princess…_ He knew he should have kept still and at least tried to not draw any further attention to himself, but he just couldn't help but to smirk and lay his arm over her shoulders. He looked Slughorn in the eyes, wearing the trademark Malfoy smirk.

"That's right, Professor," His smirk grew. "I was declared innocent by all fifty of the Wizengamot, besides, me and Hermione here are friends now."

Hermione coughed lightly and swatted his arm away. "I believe we are to be on our way to our next class now, Professor. You surly wouldn't want us all to be late."

This had snapped Slughorn out of his stupor and he quickly dismissed the class, hastily preparing for his next one. Hermione shoved her textbook into her bag and hurried out the classroom, not even waiting for Draco.

He practically ran after her. When he caught up to her, she was walking quickly he nearly jogged to keep up with her. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

She ignored him and kept walking.

"Hermione?"

She stopped suddenly and turned to him.

"Why are you angry?"

"I refuse to be made a trophy, Malfoy." Her arms were folded, and a deep scowl marked her features.

He furrowed his brows at her words. "Hermione, I have no-"

"This morning, I offered up a piece of myself, a piece of my trust, to you. What you did in that classroom…" She ran a hand through her hair and let out an exasperated noise. "You reverted to your old pompous, annoying, bigoted self, Malfoy. You were not the Draco I had come to want to be around. In there was pre-war Malfoy. I would like to have post-war Draco, but I now realize that I was just a method to regain your family name some status. No thank you, Malfoy. I don't need that in my life. I absolutely refuse to be a tool for you." She turned without skipping a beat and left him standing in the corridor alone.

Hermione was hurt and angry and raw with emotion. _I'm so stupid!_ She thought bitterly. _He never changed! And I vouched for him too! I stood up for him! Stupid!_

She had Defense Against the Dark Arts next with Headmistress McGonagall, though she didn't really see the point of going. The war was over and she was done defending. Against her better judgement, she found herself standing before the portrait of the embracing silohetted couple on a gradient purple background.

" _Amor vincit omnia,_ " She whispered. "Does it really though?" Hermione beelined for her room and quickly locked the door. She put up her silencing spells and let herself cry. If she were feeling honest with herself, she would say that she was crying over Draco Malfoy. But she decided to do the exact opposite and cry over the situation. She had desperately wanted this term to be different than all the ones prior. She didn't have Ron or Harry with her this year and she wanted nothing more than to have them on either side of her, telling her how much of a prat Malfoy was and that he wasn't worth her time. However, the bottom of her heart disagreed loudly. While the part of her heart that he had claimed in such a short amount of time was small, it had a rather loud voice in her head.

 _He's just as damaged as you. If you were given the chance to be fixed, so should he._

She had laid there staying in bed the rest of the morning. It didn't help that she kept hearing the rumors about her since the start of term.

"Day one can't even go as planned…"

Lunchtime came and went, and she remained in her room, feeling so exhausted and emotionally drained. She supposed that she couldn't keep the strong, bright, eager, and good witch façade up forever.

…

Draco stood outside her door for what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality was only twenty-three minutes. He had rushed here after the end of classes. He even took extra good notes to give to her because he knew should would be angry that she had missed a day of classes. One thing he knew about Hermione Granger was the fact that when she was mad at you she certainly let you know. He was just luck she hadn't sent a flock of angry birds after him like she had to Weasley. He raised his hand to knock, only to lay his palm flat against the door right next to her golden nameplate.

"Hermione, please…"

He knocked.

"Hermione?"

He paused.

"Hermione, open the, open the door please?"

He was met with silence.

"Hermione…"

He sank to his knees. He had, in a horrible, misguided way, made her into his entire reason for living any further. He admitted in this moment, that he needed her. That her approval, her friendship, her love, were the most important things to him. He had never allowed himself to look at her the way he had after his trial. He saw her for what she was. He saw the bright witch everyone else had saw, he always had, even as a prejeduced prat. No, he saw her as a beautiful, competent witch who would bring good to everything and everyone around her. He wanted to be a part of that goodness. He knew this desire to be in her presence was selfish, but it breathed new life in him.

"Hermione, I need you."

He knew this was an unhealthy obsession. He would admit that, but he also knew that he would die without it. She had become his sun in life, however unwarranted and out of the blue it was. She was his everything.

He felt the door click against his palm and begin to pull away. His head shot up to look at her face. Her eyes were puffy, and it was obvious from the redness that was had been crying for some time. It was a punch to his gut.

He swallowed hard before he opened his mouth to speak, only for her to beat him to it.

"I'm still quite upset with you."

"I made you cry."

She noted the genuine remorse in his voice and the pained look in his eyes.

He noted her expression soften a bit.

"Hermione, I need to correct something you said, but first I have a question."

She crossed her arms, her hand gripping her wand dangerously. "Really, now?"

"You said you refuse to be a trophy, but is it because you refuse to be _my_ trophy?" He didn't even pause to let her answer. "Because to me, you wouldn't be a mere trophy. I don't know all the correct muggle terms. When the sun explodes, it will take out so much with it, but it also gives so much life to the Earth because it's in the right spot. The sun gives life to everything on this planet. You, Hermione, gave me new life. You're my sun."

Hermione let her arms fall to her sides and her cheeks flushed a bright red. "What?"

"I never let myself look at you the way the weasel looked at you,"

"Are you…?"

He gently approached her as though she was a confused animal. "Hermione…" He swallowed hard.

She let him take her hand into his and felt that tiny part of her heart he had claimed swell, for just in this moment.

"I-"

There was a banging on the portrait-door that had utterly destroyed the heightened air between them. Hermione's head snapped toward the door and Draco watched her eyes widen in fear. Her hands gripped his in fear. He recognized the signs all to well. She was on the verge of a panic attack. He slowly brought her into his arms and gently turned her face to look at him. He gave her a small reassuring smile and her muscles relaxed slightly.

He let go of her after she returned his smile, albeit a bit sheepishly but grateful. He opened the door to find two people he surely wasn't expecting.

Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.

 _ **Hello all!**_

 _ **I'm going to try to start updating this story every two weeks or so, but please know that between my college courses and my job finding the time to write for pleasure is very hard. But definitely expect an update once a month. I know that's a long time to wait and I am so sorry for that. Thank you for being super patient with me.**_

 _ **-SnowFairyLove**_

 _ **Also because I'm feeling a bit vain, Thursday, March 8th, is my 20th birthday and I'm super excited. I'm going to try to give you guys another chapter then. Hopefully... fingers crossed?**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Enough

**Chapter 5**

Draco kept his jaw clenched. He knew that this encounter would not end well for him. Both boys in front of him hated him for all that he had done to them in their first six years and even more so now because what he had done (and what he failed to do) in the war. He didn't blame them, he was an awful person.

Hermione tearfully pushed past him and tackled both Harry and Ron in a hug. "What are you two doing here?!"

Harry and Ron wrapped their arms around her and greeted her with warm smiles. "Well, Kingsley said he wouldn't let us into the Auror Department with out a complete education, so we owled McGonagall. We're rooming together just down the hall." Harry explained sheepishly.

"Yeah, so it's going to be like old times." Ron added with a suspicious pink tinge to his cheeks. "Besides, Charlie really laid into me about not finishing my education."

Draco stood there watching the interaction jealously. He had summoned all the courage he had to even try to convey his admiration for the witch his rival was currently embracing. He cleared his throat. "Don't you have a witch of your own to be attending to?" His voice was a mixture of jealousy and irritation. While he was sure Hermione had at least gotten a grasp of what he was going to say, he still had lost his opportunity to actually tell her.

Ron crossed his arms, a deep frown etched into his features. "What are you even doing in her room, Malfoy? You should leave."

Hermione shook her head at him. "Draco is my roommate." She glanced down at her watch. "We're together for patrols in about four and a half hours."

Harry looked a tad uncomfortable and Ron looked angry. Hermione pulled away from them. Her hand absently tugged at the ends of her hair.

"Hermione…" Draco had come up behind her, gently resting a hand on the small of her back. This action was not lost on Harry or Ron. Harry chose to busy himself with looking around their room. He poked his head into her room.

"Don't touch her with your filthy Death Eater hands."

Recalling their quarrel stemming from his behavior this morning, he knew he had to respond to this carefully. He looked at Ron levelly and began to speak calmly when Harry stepped back into the room, holding the letter from Draco's father. However, Draco just mentally screamed at the inevitable yelling that would occur in the next minute.

"What's this, 'Mione?"

Ron had joined Harry and instantly his face was livid and his ears red. "Merlin's beard! Bloody hell!" Ron was already gripping his wand dangerously. "You said we needed a break, Hermione. And I am giving you time, but… You're mine! You shouldn't even be near him after what happened!" Ron's face was contorted in anger, his body was trembling, and Harry looked like he was at a loss for words. Draco knew he had to deescalate the situation before his witch caught another panic attack. "A marriage contract with Malfoy? I mean, you're spoken for, Hermione!"

She was also gripping her wand. Draco cleared his throat. "If I may explain…"

"Like hell, you better bloody explain. She's a taken witch! You better keep your hands to yourself."

"You are a bit mistaken in your conclusion." Draco started, articulating his words very carefully.

"It was your father, wasn't it?" Harry interrupted.

"Precisely." Draco nodded. "And I don't know what sort of twisted claim you think you have on her, but she's been singing a different tune, Weasley."

Hermione gently leaned against Draco. Her body was shaking with anxiety. He could tell she was doing her best to remain strong. She couldn't handle being strong after all that had happened today. Her emotions have been on a roller coaster. Draco's hands were instantly on her arms to steady her, looking down at her with concern. "You want to go rest before patrols?"

She nodded tiredly and looked pointedly at both Harry and Ron. "But I very well can't leave you three in our dorm alone together. I'll play ref. You lot are going to sort out your problems. Right now, before dinner. This a new year and McGonagall wants us to be a unified front for the younger years. So, talk."

Draco wanted to desperately tell to worry about herself for once. "Hermione, will you please just rest a minute. You're stressing yourself out."

She sat down grumpily in one of the armchairs facing the dimly burning fireplace. The three boys followed. Hermione looked at each of them sternly.

Draco kept his eyes on Hermione. He was fully aware of Ron's hard stare burning holes into the side of his head. He had no reason to pick a fight with him, not while she was not at her best.

Harry was the first to crack under her stare.

"I have no problem with Malfoy anymore. I meant what I said when I testified."

"You called me a misinformed, brainwashed twit, I believe." Draco stated. "Hermione was the one that wrote that I happened to be on the wrong side of the war because of my parents and before I could know any better I was already in too deep." His voice was steady, but solemn. He deeply wished this conversation would die. He was tired of explaining to people who wouldn't understand. To him, the only one who mattered was Hermione.

Harry stood from his seat next to Ron and crossed the room where Draco was standing. "I have settled my issues with you during your trial. I left whatever punishment you deserved up to the Ministry." Harry paused. "Ron?"

"He's a bloody Death Eater!" Ron yelled.

Draco looked back down at Hermione to find her asleep in the armchair. Her mouth was slightly parted, and her hair had fallen into her face. "Be quiet, you git! She's finally sleeping."

Ron looked like he had more to say, but Draco quickly cut him off.

"Listen, Weasley, I don't have the patience to deal with you and your blabbering. I will only say this once." He pointed to Hermione where she was still sleeping peacefully despite all the yelling. "She is my utmost concern. I do not care what either of you think of me. Yes, I have done horrible things, but I am moving forward."

"I had heard from Ginny that you had decided to devote your life to her." Harry said softly.

"Yes."

Ron deflated a little at that. "Then the best thing you could do for her is to leave her alone. She's mine and with you around her will only remind her of your bloody aunt's torture." With that said, Ron left their dorm.

"I should go calm him down." Harry followed him.

Once the door had shut, Draco let out a sigh and looked down at Hermione where she stirred awake. She looked at him curiously before a blush tinged her cheeks. He knelt before her. His face resting mere inches from where hers rested on the arm of the chair. "Are you feeling better?"

She gave him a small smile in return. "Earlier, before Harry and Ron came, you were telling me something… Do you still want me to know?"

He smiled a gentle grin at her. "Oh, don't worry about it."

She looked around, finally noticing that her best friends were gone. "How long was I out?"

He stood and stretched. "Only a few minutes."

"So, I'd like to continue our conversation from earlier, if that's alright." Hermione looked down at her hands as she sat up. "You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but I have a few things to say, if you're willing to hear me out."

He gave her an almost sad look, but his face also contained reassurance. "For you, I am an open book."

"I'd like us to be friends."

"I know, Hermione." His tone was a little confused, thinking that they had already established a tentative friendship.

She shook her head. "I think I need to rephrase that. I want us to be close, like I am with Harry and Ron."

He looked at her small form. Hermione was looking down at her hands. She looked as though she were fragile and ready to break at a moment's notice. The air was still and her soft skin was tempting his touch. His fingers itched to push back her bouncing curls out of her face.

"I'd like that as well, Hermione."

Draco found himself sitting with the entirety of the Golden Trio with the addition of Ginny Weasley. Hermione reassured them that Draco had changed and both Ginny and Harry, albeit reluctantly, were willing to give him one chance to prove that. Ron, however, opted to ignore him and flirt shamelessly with Hermione all throughout dinner. She did well to shrug off the most of his comments, until he made a comment about how he should get her switched to his room.

"I very well do not need you to make decisions for me."

"Hermione!"

"Ron!" She barked back. "Enough! I am a grown woman! I can make decisions for myself." She paused, "Besides, Ronald, we broke up and we agreed that it was for the best. I've had enough of your advances."

Draco flicked his eyes over to where Harry and Ginny were looking at each other, longingly, rather than to listen to Hermione put Ron in hiss place. He felt a small twinge of jealousy as he watched Harry peck Ginny on her temple. He looked at Hermione with the same look as Harry. He quickly looked away and found his eyes landed on Blaise and Theo across the hall.

Evident on their face, they both had seen the look on his face. They both smiled at him knowingly. Draco growled.

He shifted his attention back to the quarrelling ex-couple. Ron was still insisting that Draco was evil and that she should move in with him. Hermione was on the verge of blowing up at him, but still kept her words calm and dripping with barely restrained venom. He smirked at her Slytherin side. Gently, he rested his hand on the table, about five centimeters from were hers laid. Slowly he moved his hand to rest softly against hers. He watched her relax at the contact.

"Hermione, we should get back. I'll let you have my notes for the day." Draco said as she opened her mouth to yell at Ron. She shut her mouth and gave him a grateful smile.

"Right, you can walk me though what we learned today." She turned to Ginny and Harry. "See you in the morning?" They nodded at her and she turned to leave, looking back over her shoulder at Draco. "Are you coming?" She began walking when he nodded at her, leaving the fuming redheaded boy behind. Draco quickly caught up with her and fell into step with her fast pace. After about fifteen minutes they found themselves in front of their portrait. The portrait was different this time. The silhouettes of the man and woman were no longer embracing, but instead standing next to each other, making no contact. The man and woman mirrored Draco and Hermione. Draco moved to run his hand through his hair. The man's silhouette mirrored his actions. Shaking his head, he muttered the password and walked inside with Hermione falling close behind. He went straight to his room as she waited outside the door, admiring the little unpacking he had done.

His bookcase was full of the textbooks from first year to now. Among them were several notebooks and research logs. One log was resting on his desk, loose sheets of paper sticking out of it. He rested his bag on top of his trunk and pulled his notes from the day out. Moving to his desk, he pushed the log aside and flipped open to the section he marked for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Three hours had passed as the went over the days lessons together. Hermione was relieved that all her classes had been made to review sixth year material. She felt better about missing them. Glancing down at her watch, she quickly noticed that the had about ten minutes before they were to begin their patrols.

"Go get ready." Draco urged her. "I'll meet you in five."


	6. Chapter 6 - Patrols

**Chapter 6**

They walked out together in silence. Draco and Hermione were to patrol on the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors along with the astronomy tower. The decided to start at the top and work their way down, so when they were done they could just go back to their room. Once they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, Hermione looked out and down at the grounds below were she could see Hagrid's hut and the quidditch pitch. She rested her arms on the railing as a small, indifferent look landed on her features and let out a sigh.

"Last year, I stood in this exact spot, you know. I thought about jumping." He said calmly and joined her at the railing, his eyes matching the grief in her face.

"I'm glad you didn't."

Her words shouldn't have surprised him, but they did. "Two years ago, I killed Dumbledore here."

"That wasn't your fault. Whether or not you see it that way."

He made a noncommittal noise. She continued to stare out into the distance.

They decided wordlessly to continue their patrols. The way back down the tower was uneventful, however on the seventh floor, Draco and Hermione found a second year Ravenclaw sitting outside the common room. "Can't get in?" Hermione said softly, kneeling next to the little girl. Her eyes shone with fear at the sight of Draco and pressed herself further up against the wall.

Draco looked further down the hall, keeping his face expressionless. "What's the riddle?"

"What is invisible and makes people suffer from symptoms like sweating and nausea, makes people act unlike themselves, yet people can't survive without it?"

Hermione smiled the answer on the tip of her tongue. She flicked her eyes to Draco. She was curious what his answer would be.

Draco looked at the gargoyle emotionlessly. "That would be love." Hermione nodded and helped the little second-year up and walked her into the common room. He heard her tell the little girl that she should seek out one of the eighth years or a professor if she gets locked out again. He looked at Hermione and his breath caught in his throat.

Hermione was kneeling in front of the little girl. Her face was graced with a reassuring smile. Her hair, while poof-y, was still relatively calm. Her curls came down in waves down her back and her hand rested on the girl's shoulder. She kept reassuring the poor girl who was now crying at her stupidity. She calmly brought the girl back down from her emotions.

To Draco, she was the picture of a caring mother. She was beautiful. It was about a month ago when he had resigned himself to his fate. He was undoubtedly in love with the witch in front of him. He let out a small sigh.

She exited the common room and rejoined him. "Well, I'm glad we found her and not Filch."

Draco nodded, deciding to keep any Squib comments to himself. Luckily for Draco, The rest of their patrols went off without any further events. They stopped in front of their portrait again and noticed the male silhouette was looking at the female, and Draco was sure that had the male had a face, he would be looking at her with longing.

"Amor vincit omnia." Hermione said happily, making Draco quirk his eyebrow at her. He followed her in and she went down to sit on the love seat.

"I'm going to go to bed." While her emotions were high today, so was his. He couldn't take anymore. He couldn't look at her, knowing that she would never…

"Hey…"

He paused in his doorway.

"I know we're not close and I normally wouldn't ask this, but I really don't want to be alone. So, if you don't mind, can you, uh, stay with me? Please?"

He let out a long breath and he moved to sit on the opposite side of the love seat. He couldn't bare to touch her. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "That little Ravenclaw. Her name is Emma Hughes. Her father was an Auror and one of the fifty-four graves on the grounds."

There wasn't a need for them to exchange words. They knew how painful it was to be so close to someone you cared for only for the mark of their existence was one white marble gravestone in a seven by eight rectangle nestled beautifully on the castle grounds. Hermione had so many friends buried there, while Draco only had a few. Slowly, she wiggled into his arms, thinking about the pain that little girl was going through. She pretended that his arms were her father's for just a moment, dearly missing her parents. But soon reality came to her and she found that she enjoyed being in Draco's lap. Her head rested against his shoulder and his arms held her securely against him. His chin rested on the top of her head. She was completely enveloped in his presence.

She felt safe, she realized.

He loved the way her hair smelled. It was a mix of gentle lavender and vanilla. Slowly, with each breath, he savored it. He memorized it. He gently traced spells into the back of her hands but ended up just tracing his name in full.

Draco Lucius Malfoy.

Draco Lucius Malfoy.

Draco Lucius Malfoy.

Over and over again, he kept this mantra to a rhythm, marking her as his even if it wasn't true. It was on the fourth lapse of his name, she caught on, but decided to say nothing. She thought he was in his own world, not deliberately thinking. She snuggled deep into his embrace. Her hand coming to rest against his chest and she traced circles on his robes. They sat there embracing each other for hours. The grandfather clock that sat in the corner by the fireplace chimed one in the morning.

He picked her up. Her eyes staring sleepily up at him as he brought her to her room. She watched him gently tuck her in and pull the covers around her. As he turned to leave, she wanted to call back to him. Ask him to stay. But all she did was whisper good night.

He heard her, but knew if he returned the words, he'd only make her life harder with him in it. He wasn't being fair when it came to Hermione. She didn't need him, he knew that, but he couldn't stop himself from being happy that he was even allowed to be this close to her.

Happy was not an emotion he was used to having, let alone showing. She was his entire world now that the war was over. She was the only one who actually understood his position during the war.

She was his sun.

Draco took a shower and let his thoughts stew. The hot water only burned one fact into his soul.

He was hopelessly in love with Hermione Granger.


End file.
